


Starlight Kisses

by keirajo



Series: The Love of Romance [3]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Action, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-24 14:16:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17102159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keirajo/pseuds/keirajo
Summary: A date cancelled and rescheduled.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A special story for the holidays. Two chapters. Enjoy, and have a great holiday season everyone! :D

**_ Starlight Kisses _ **

 

 

_ Chapter One: _

 

            **[Sorry Megs…………looks like tonight’s date is officially postponed,]** Rodimus laughed, his image on the viewing screen showing the group that went down to the planet was under fire.  **[We had just gotten the refugees gathered when both sides took us for a “mutual enemy” and both began firing on us.   Their weapons won’t do much damage to us, but we’ve got our hands full protecting the refugees.   So, we’ll be here awhile.]**

 

            “I understand, Rodimus—just take care and _don’t_ get reckless, all right?   We’ll hold things down here while,” Megatron responded, just a flicker of annoyance that he went back to that annoying nickname.

            It was just another day on the _Lost Light_.   They’d gotten a warbled, garbled distress call from a nearby planet and…………..Rodimus’ instincts to save and protect others drove him to take a small task force down and do what they could to assist.   Apparently two sides were at war and an abandoned city where those who were not into the fighting had gathered suddenly found themselves in the middle of a crossfire between the two factions.   Rodimus _promised_ the refugees that they’d see them safely away from the conflict—even if they had to drag them to the other side of the planet!

            “D’ya think they’ll be alright down there?” Ratchet asked with a soft grunt in his voice.  Drift had gone as well, so of course the old medic worried for his lover.

            “ ** _I_** have no worries.   These fleshlings really can’t do much harm to our kind—I’m just concerned about Rodimus being overprotective of them and taking a dumb risk,” Megatron responded, looking at the red-and-white mech with a smile.

            “As always,” Ratchet chuckled.   “Honestly, I’m _still_ trying to wrap my head around the two of you as something,” he added with a sigh and folded his arms across his chest.  “Drift thinks it’s some sort of elaborate joke that Rodimus and Swerve concocted.”

            “And here I thought you’d have a bit more romance in your circuits,” Megatron said with a soft little laugh.   He got up and asked the old medic to accompany him to the ready room to speak in private.   “Rodimus is _amazingly sweet_.   Drift really lost out on that, you know.”

            “ _Tch_.   Don’t remind me at how much those brats flirted,” Ratchet groaned.

            “I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Ratchet—I’m sure, as a medic, you’ve encountered mechs or femmes with dermal sensitivity, right?”  The former Decepticon Leader inquired, settling down into a chair at the conference table.

            “Sure, but you _can’t_ be talking about Rodimus—you should’ve seen how hard the Wreckers all hit each other, merely for fun and sport,” Ratchet snapped, rubbing the back of his neck.

            “I’ve been trying to figure out for certain if that’s what it is, but it’s looking more like a real possibility.   You do remember that his original frame had a medical cross on it…………..I think he was originally slated to become a medic.   Having the dermal sensor net in his frame would be consistent with a medical mech,” Megatron said.  “It would also explain his discomfort in physical intimacy.   But I imagine his self-loathing probably keeps him from collapsing in pain on a daily basis—he probably considers any of that punishment for all his sins.  He’s lived with the constant stream of pain to his systems that he never thinks about it anymore.”

            Ratchet shuttered his optics to try and review in his head any of the times he’d given Rodimus a medical checkup and how his reactions were.   Then he remembered how hard Rodimus tried to _avoid_ any and all medical checkups.

            “ _Nnnngh_ …………if this were true— _why_ didn’t someone catch this when they sent him to the academy?   He _should’ve_ been trained to become a medic!”  The old Autobot CMO groaned.

            “What do the commanders at the head of a growing war do?   They _don’t_ pull medics out of perfectly usable soldiers,” Megatron answered with a deep sigh.  “If I can get him to actually report in for a medical checkup, would _someone_ be able to figure out if I’m right?”

            “Yeah, sure, but………….it’s _too late_ to really do anything for him.   Training a medic with the actual sensor net and EM field has to be done when they’re _young_ —within their first century at best,” Ratchet grumbled.   “I’m afraid, even if we find he has the dermal sensor net and all………….he’s _stuck_ with it at full flare now.   But the least you could do is just take care when you’re with him, I suppose.”

            “I already do,” Megatron said, softly, smiling.

 

*      *      *      *      *

 

            “It is annoying, but it doesn’t really hurt,” Roller chuckled.

            “Good……………” Rodimus said.   “First Aid, Velocity—keep loading up the refugees in Roller and Magnus’ trailers.   We’re going to work harder on disabling their weapons.  Once they’re out of guns and ammo—they’ll likely retreat and give us a good chance to desert this joint with the refugees.”

            “What should **_I_** do?”  Drift asked.

            “You did used to be good with a gun, as I recall—here, have Magnus’ second rifle,” the flame-colored mech replied, handing a large rifle to the grey-and-white swordsmech.  “The plan is………….those with smaller, more precision lasers—take out their guns.   Those of us with rifles will disable the cannons.   We’re _not_ choosing sides—disable _everyone’s_ weapons.”

            Everyone focused on the tasks that Rodimus had given them.   It still took such a long time, it felt like………before the majority of all combatants’ guns and cannons were out of ammo or disabled.   By the time the two sides surrounding the small city had retreated, all the refugees in the small city had been loaded into the cargo carrier portions of Roller and Ultra Magnus in their vehicle modes.

            “All right everyone, let’s _transform and roll out_!”  Rodimus called. 

            Everyone else transformed into their alt modes as well and they formed a caravan.   The drive took about three more hours—to place the refugees in another city, with more refugees.   The crew members of the _Lost Light_ were heartily thanked and then returned to the ship.

            Ultra Magnus walked with Rodimus back to his hab suite.   “I’ll inform Megatron that we’ll all be transferred to a rest cycle and I’ll assign other crew for command duties until we’ve fully recharged.   Knowing Megatron, he’ll likely offer to take an extra shift to cover for us,” the tall mech said, firmly.

            “ _’Kay_.   I’d really rather spend my recharge with him, but………….right now, I’m too tired to argue my case for it,” Rodimus chuckled.   “Tell him I said _‘hi’_ and I’ll talk to him later!”  He laughed, yawning and then went into his room.  

            Rodimus went to the washrack and felt way too sleepy as he tried to clean himself up.   As soon as he came back into the main part of his room, he saw Megatron waiting for him.

            “Too tired for _anything_ right now, big guy,” Rodimus chuckled, waving a yellow servo dismissively at him.

            “Yes, I figured so.  Here, _drink_ …………” Megatron responded with a smile, handing him a canister of high-grade.

            “ _Oh_ , thanks………..” Rodimus mumbled, taking the can and drinking it all in a few big gulps.   Then he yawned a big yawn and stumbled towards his berth.

            Megatron took the can and then scooped Rodimus up into his arms, laying him gently down into the berth.   He took the heavy blanket and pulled it up over the smaller, flame-colored mech.

            “That’s sweet,” Rodimus murmured sleepily.  “Sorry ‘bout the date, you know………….was looking forward to it.”

            “I know, I was too,” Megatron said, gently, leaning down to kiss Rodimus’ forehead.   “But we’ll have plenty of time later.”

            “ _’Kay_ ,” the flame-colored mech mumbled, unable to stay awake any longer.

            “Sleep well, Rodimus,” the older mech chuckled, brushing his lips lightly over the slightly parted ones of his sleeping lover.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date, finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned in an earlier work--I'm going to explore this "Cybertronian Medic" angle as it refers to Rodimus, whether it comes from the "Autocracy" trilogy or the various Japanese sources that label Hot Rod that way. :)

_ Chapter Two: _

 

            The bridge crew tried to ignore the fact that one of their captains was draped over the shoulders of the other one and tried to go about their usual duties.  

            Rodimus was leaning over the back of the captain’s chair with his arms draped over Megatron’s shoulders.   He was holding a datapad up in his servos, before Megatron’s face.   “So, I was looking at some of the local planets and found this one with a big celebration going on today.   It’s like some sort of festival of light, if Rewind’s translations are right?”  The flame-colored mech said, softly.

            “You want to have shore leave here for the day and night, is that what you’re asking me in this roundabout way?”  Megatron chuckled, looking at the information on the datapad.

            “ _Yeah_.   _Kinda_.  **_I guess_**.   I mean………….I broke our date a few days ago, so I wanted to make up for it,” Rodimus mumbled, rubbing his cheek fondly against Megatron’s grey helm.

            “You know you don’t have to,” Megatron murmured, reaching up behind him to pat Rodimus’ helm gently.

            “I know, but I _feel bad_.   I know…………our relationship is kinda weird and stuff still, but I wanna _try harder_ to make something honest between us,”  Rodimus said, softly.   “I…….I’ve never had a good relationship.   So, I’d really like this to work.”

            Someone at one of their stations made a little “ _awwww_ ” sound, but it _wasn’t_ sarcastic though, it sounded like they really thought the scene between the two captains was actually very sweet.   Though there were other mumbles of discomfort from others on the bridge.   Rodimus realized he probably shouldn’t have broached all this in front of the bridge crew and felt suddenly embarrassed.   He instantly pulled away from Megatron, leaving him the datapad.

            “ _Um_.   Apparently you made an appointment for me to get a checkup, so I’m gonna go do that—let me know what you think of the shore leave idea, _‘kay_?”   The flame-colored mech added, his voice a bit louder with his sudden nervousness, as he stood up straight and turned to leave the bridge.

            “I will, Rodimus.   I think it’s a good idea for us to explore the other cultures of this universe, if we can, I’ll run it by Ultra Magnus,” Megatron answered, turning his head to smile at Rodimus.

            “ _’Kay_.   We’ll talk later, then,” Rodimus said, practically running off the bridge.   He slowed down when he got into the corridors and walked normally to the medi-bay, even though he was mentally kicking himself for relaxing and being a bit emotionally needy in front of the bridge crew.   He had to steel himself now, as his appointment was _actually_ with Ratchet—and he’d _rather_ have seen anyone else in the medi-bay but the cranky old former CMO right now.

            At least Drift was nowhere in sight as Rodimus walked into the medi-bay and peered around the doorframe.   Although he’d tried really hard, it was _very difficult_ to talk to Drift now.   The flame-colored mech _didn’t want_ it to be difficult, he _wanted_ to be friends with Drift………but his Spark ached with longing for the mech he never had a chance to form a bond with.   If he tried to start a conversation with Drift, he actually wound up making excuses to run away from it within a few moments.

            Drift’s aura and EM field was too warm and bright with his love for Ratchet nowadays—it _literally hurt_ Rodimus to be anywhere around the mech he used to believe was his closest of all friends.

            “Good, you’re here.  You didn’t run or make excuses,” Ratchet grunted, waving a servo at Rodimus and bringing him back to a smaller, private checkup room.

            “Megatron would be disappointed.  I _don’t_ want to wreck anything with him………” Rodimus mumbled as he was instructed to sit down on the medical slab.

            Ratchet gave a soft little chuckle.   “I was speaking with him a few days ago and a topic about you came up.   He reminded me of something I had long forgotten about.   When you came online and your frame design solidified—you didn’t have flames on your chest, right?”  The old medic asked, pulling up a chair to sit in front of Rodimus and prevent him from hopping down from the medical slab and running away—if he tried, he’d fall right on top of Ratchet, and wouldn’t _that_ be embarrassing?

            “ _Nah_.   It was like a cross or something,” Rodimus blurted, not wanting to term it the “ _medical cross_ ” in front of a medic.

            “Yeah, that’s what Megatron reminded me of.   You were sensitive to the needs of those in Nyon, do you understand why?”  Ratchet asked, looking as if he were looking through information on the datapad in his servos, but not really focused on it.

            “ ** _Uh_** ……….. _’cause I like to help people_?   I mean, that’s it, right?   I’ve _always_ been like that,” Rodimus mumbled, becoming uncomfortable, because this was feeling too much like a psychiatric session.

            Ratchet reached up and brought his servo close to Rodimus’ waist, noting the immediate cringe and push back of the flame-colored frame on the medical slab.  “ _What_ did you feel when I brought my hand near you?”  He asked, seriously.

            “ ** _Uh_** , _nothing_ ………..I just knew you were gonna touch me………..and………” Rodimus whispered, his old anxieties that had been long-buried by his falsified ego starting to bubble up deep within him.

            “No, I _know_ you felt something.  Tell me _what_ you felt,” Ratchet demanded, his voice even and neutral.   He’d had pressure flowing through his field—a _dominance pressure_ meant to keep a patient lying back and being still during minor surgery.   _That’s_ what skilled medics used their fields for—to monitor and influence the patient’s behavior into letting the doctor do their work.   The dermal sensor net was used to feel the sensitive changes in a patient’s mood and condition, so the doctor could adapt their work patterns and make the patient feel better even as they worked to make them better.  In a way, it was like medics had a projective field and a receptive field that were separate from one another.

            “ _Uh_ ………..you………..you didn’t want me to move.   You were trying to make me _sit still_ ,” Rodimus answered.  “ _Don’t wanna_.   Don’t wanna be……..” he mumbled, scooting back on the slab until his back hit the wall behind him.

            “ _Tch_.  He really _was_ right.   And your dermal sensor net is way too sensitive,” Ratchet grumbled.  “ _Gah_ , I’m going to kill Drift on this, too— _he should’ve known_.  No wonder you got way too attached to him—he _knows_ how to control fields and he knew exactly how to make you feel comfortable around him,” he groaned, rubbing his helm softly.  “Rodimus………..it looks like you were originally slated to be a medic and you were never trained for it.   You have a secondary sensor net, we call it a dermal sensor net—as it’s close to the dermal layer of your frame………..the dermal sensor net is what we use to monitor the patient’s mood and condition, the things we can’t see on monitors.”

            “Well, that’s just stupid,” Rodimus muttered, huddled against the wall.

            “That’s why you’re drawn to help others—you can feel their moods and conditions, even if you’ve never been trained to understand and accept that data into a way that you can understand.  You’re acting on _pure instincts_ ,” Ratchet said, standing up and dropping his datapad on the nearby counter.  “This is also why you _don’t_ have good relationships—you know what they’re _really feeling_ when they get close to you.   You didn’t read Drift accurately, because he’s a master of manipulating fields.   But if you feel someone who needs help, you’re instantly there trying to do what you can to help, because your dermal sensor net is urging the medical instincts inside you to do so.   It also explains your epic tantrums—because you’re _overloaded_ with sensory data all around you and you don’t know how to deal with it properly.  You were never taught to control it.”

            Rodimus still wasn’t relaxing any at all, at hearing all this information.

            “Rodimus, this is why you can sense even what organics are feeling,” the old Autobot medic added, folding his arms over his chest.  “Our EM fields _can_ convey emotions—it’s something we use it for often enough, but our fields were _not_ originally designed for this purpose………..we’ve just used them that way for so long now, nobody really realizes what the original purpose of a Cybertronian’s EM field really is.   Emotions are a wavelength, so that’s why it integrates into a field easily—but organics don’t have much a field, if any at all………however _they have emotions_.   Your dermal sensor net can feel **_other_** wavelengths—such as the emotions and lifepulses of organics.”

            “Is that why I want to help…………..even organics?” Rodimus murmured, starting to uncurl his body and sit normally on the medical slab.

            “ _Yeah_.   You can’t help it.   It’s the way you’re wired,” Ratchet answered, smiling at the flame-colored mech.   “But it’s like four million years too late to train you and get your dermal sensor net tamed—it will always be at _full-flare_ like this forever, I’m afraid.”

            “ _Oh_ ,” Rodimus mumbled, swinging his legs over the edge of the medical slab and staring at his knee-joints.

            “Forge something with Megatron,” the old medic chuckled.   “He really _does_ seem to like you and wants to protect you.   He understands you’ve got a dermal sensor net—I think he figured that out the first time you two interfaced.   I think, if you eventually Spark-bond, it _may_ ease some of the stress you feel from everyone’s emotions battering at you every day.”

            “D’you…………really think so?   _I like him a lot_ …………” the flame-colored mech whispered softly.

            “Yeah, I think so,” Ratchet said, consolingly, as the younger mech looked up at him and smiled.

            _Damn_ , Drift was right………………a real-and-true Rodimus smile was worth everything in the universe.

 

*      *      *      *      *

 

            The festival on the world of Lorka was gorgeous and fun and _just perfect_.   Rodimus had started out with a small group of individuals from the ship and eventually found himself practically alone as he waited for Megatron to get there.  The older mech still had command duty and promised to get to the festivities before the lightworks started.  The flame-colored mech wandered the booths and stalls anxiously…………but all he could feel was excitement from everyone around him.

            It **_did_** make him happy, though.  Everyone around him was happy and it just all bled into him……….probably through this thing that Ratchet called a “ _dermal sensor net_ ”.   He also felt the desire and longing of people around him—couples and those wishing they could be couples.   It made Rodimus long for Megatron to get here, too.

            “Hey there,” a familiar deep voice said.

            “ ** _Oh_**.  _Ah_ , Drift…….. ** _hey_** ,” Rodimus responded, turning to see his former friend standing behind him.  “Fun times, right?”  He laughed, trying to put the invisible wall back up between them.

            “Well.   I _would_ be enjoying myself more if you didn’t look so lonely,” the swordsmech responded, sighing deeply.

            “ _What_?  **_No_**.  Megs’ll be here soon enough, I’m good,” the flame-colored mech chuckled and plastered a forced smile on his faceplate.   Oh, no………….this _wasn’t awkward_ in any way whatsoever!   “ _’Sides_ , you’ve got someone you need to be with, right?  **_Go_** _.  Shoo_!”  He added, waving his servos at the grey-and-white mech, looking around to see where Ratchet could possibly be.

            “Will we _ever_ be able to talk like we used to?  I thought we were still friends, until……..” Drift began, knowing that the moment Rodimus saw Drift and Ratchet kissing back on the Necrobot’s world was the end of patching up their relationship.

            “ _Pfft_.  **_Friends_** ,” Rodimus laughed.  “Why do I need them?   No one wants to be friends with an aft like me.  Look, Ratchet’s waiting on you over there.  **_GO_**.   _SHOO_!”  He said, again, waving his servos in the direction he saw the old medic standing nearby.   “ _Drift_.   You **_gotta_** give me time, _‘kay_?  _I need a lot more time_ ,” he mumbled when the swordsmech made no movement to go over to his lover.

            “You’re sure?”  He asked, fidgeting.

            “ _Yeah_ ,” Rodimus responded, shrugging.  “ _Just go_.   I mean, this is a fun day—let me have fun and enjoy myself before Megs gets here!   You crowding me isn’t letting me have fun……..” he trailed off, spreading his servos in a shrug.

            “All right.   _Don’t drink_ ,” Drift said, warningly.

            “There’s _no Engex_ here, idiot…………and I’m not drinking one of those sugary, carbonated things.  I’ll have some water and wander around looking for little knickknacks to put on my shelves,” Rodimus groaned, waving again at the swordsmech to make him go away.   As soon as Drift finally walked away, over to where Ratchet was standing, Rodimus finally exvented a sigh of relief.  “C’mon Megatron…………your shift should’ve been over by now…………” he muttered.

            **[Aren’t you coming down for our date?]**   Rodimus said, sending an audio message to his older lover.   **[I’m looooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnneeeeeeely!!!]**

**[I’ll be there soon.  There was a stupid little accident and we got someone who injured themselves.   I’m not calling back the medics for this and I’m running the triage with the medical droids  myself,]** Megatron responded, warmth in his internal voice.  **[I’ll be there in a little while, don’t forget where we planned to meet.]**

            **[I certainly won’t!]**   Rodimus sent back in a quip, with his internal tone showing amusement.

            So, the flame-colored mech wandered around through the stalls and booths some more, bought a few small collectible things and a liter of water.   An hour passed and he wandered back and forth around the spot at the edge of the festival, near a large display fountain, where he’d planned to meet up with Megatron.  Then a second hour passed and Rodimus’ Spark began to sink.

            _Had he been stood up?_

            Maybe Megatron really didn’t like him after all?  Maybe the oldmech was being nice and just trying to create a “ _favorable_ ” environment between the two of them?

            **_Maybe Rodimus was wrong about the relationship and what he wanted all this time?_**

            The flame-colored mech stared into the water of the fountain and felt depressed and lonely, but held his EM field in tight and _wasn’t_ going to let his feelings leak out—he didn’t want anyone from the crew walking over and trying to pretend to cheer him up or anything.  He wanted them all to at least have fun at this little bit of shore leave…………..

           

_“Comets streaking,_

_Across the night._

_Trails blazing both furious_

_And bright._

_Bring to me_

_Love and desire,_

_Like brief starlight kisses,_

_Flaring the joy of life!”_

 

            Rodimus spun, hearing the familiar deep voice in a lilting tone.  _Poetry!_    It could **_only_** be Megatron.

            “It doesn’t quite have the proper rhyme scheme yet, but………..I’m still cleaning that one up,” Megatron said as Rodimus dashed over and threw himself into the larger and bulkier mech’s arms.  The former Decepticon Leader was a little upset to hear Rodimus sobbing against his chest.  “What’s wrong?   Why are you crying, my bright little flame?”  He murmured, pushing Rodimus back a little so he can look down into the shorter mech’s faceplate.

            “ _Didn’t………… **wasn’t** …………not sure you……………were coming………….._” Rodimus sobbed, his vocalizer popping with static and hisses.

            “I am sorry I wasn’t here sooner, it seems we can never even leave a skeleton crew alone to take care of themselves anymore,” Megatron sighed, reaching down a thumb to run it along the jaw and chin of the shorter mech.  “A few idiots decided to get ripping drunk and got into a fight—only minor injuries, but I had to triage them all with the medical droids’ assistance.”

            “ _Glad you’re here_ …………” the flame-colored mech mumbled, plastering himself against Megatron’s chest again and wrapping his arms as far around him as he could.   “ ** _So glad_** ………….”

            “I apologize, my little flame,” the former warlord murmured, rubbing a hand lightly along Rodimus’ back and the other planted gently on his aft.   “But if you don’t pull away from my chest—you’re going to miss the lightworks show!”  He chuckled, warmly.

            Rodimus pulled away from Megatron’s chest and stood beside the much taller and bulkier mech, looking up at the sky, just as the explosions of light and color began.   At the same time, they both reached for one another’s servos and twined them gently.   Rodimus leaned over against Megatron’s arm and they stared up at the fireworks, pleased to have each other and treasuring the feel of one another’s presence next to each other.

            Megatron half-turned towards the mech beside him and leaned down, using his other servo to cup Rodimus’ chin gently.   He brought his lips down and brushed them over the flame-colored mech’s.  The kiss deepened and went on longer than the original intention, warming the both of them up inside.   Megatron pulled Rodimus close to his chest again and they kissed some more beneath the exploding fireworks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a great 2018 and will have an even better 2019! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Holiday two week schedule: 
> 
> "Transformers: Star Voyager" Episode Twenty: Arise--December 25th  
> "A Light in the Darkness" Chapter Five--by December 30th  
> "Starlight Kisses" Chapter Two--by December 31st/January 1st
> 
> .............look forward to your favorite series continuing soon everyone! :D


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